Changes to FUTA Rates for Some States

The U.S. Department of Labor will require supplemental FUTA tax assessments in some states due to budget deficits.  Attached is a chart from the U.S. Department of Labor indicating projected increases beyond the base rate of 0.8%.  If an increase rate is 0.3%, then the revised FUTA tax rate will be 1.1%.  FUTA tax contributions are assessed per employee on the first $7,000 in wages.  Changes are not scheduled for Oregon or Washington, but if you are filming in other states, you may have to make adjustments to your payroll budgets.   Continue reading... “Changes to FUTA Rates for Some States”

“Meek’s Cutoff” Insustry Night at the Elisonore Theatre

[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/21400776[/vimeo]

March 15th was a night to celebrate the screening of “Meek’s Cutoff” at Salem’s historic Elsinore Theatre.   As seen in the video above, many local film industry workers took the time to show their support by giving a brief interviews discussing how important it is  to Oregon and to Oregon’s film community that productions like this continue to be filmed here in our state.  Many people from the Oregon film industry along with quite a few state senators and representatives showed up for this special screening to benefit the Oregon Cultural Trust. Continue reading... ““Meek’s Cutoff” Insustry Night at the Elisonore Theatre”

Concert and Event to Raise Money for Local Film on April 8

Mississippi Studios Concert & Auction

Featuring Storm Large

benefiting

Rid of Me

a film by James Westby

and The Sexual Assault Resource Center

April 8TH, 2011

Performances By:

Storm Large, Grand Archives, Ohioan, Oracle, & Part Time Pony

This event will be the film’s kick-off to New York City, where it will premiere at the

Tribeca Film Festival in April.

VIP tickets include a 6 pm cocktail hour with hors d’oeuvres with Storm Large, an intimate  performance, swag bag (valued over $300), handcrafted chocolates, and reserved concert seating.

Continue reading... “Concert and Event to Raise Money for Local Film on April 8”

Film Festivals coming to Oregon

Oregon is host to two very exciting film festivals coming soon to Ashland Oregon as well as Eugene Oregon.

Either as a viewer of film maker you can visit these sites below to view the lists of films showing at the festivals.   At Cinema Pacific, you get the chance to watch not only some interesting films from China but on Thursday April 7 the festival is hosting an interesting industry symposium featuring some top level producers including the producer of all of John Woo’s films.  Continue reading... “Film Festivals coming to Oregon”

Documentary HOOD TO COAST returns to Oregon

Documentary HOOD TO COAST returns to Oregon!

The locally produced feature film documentary Hood To Coast just finished two successful nationwide Event screenings in over 380 theaters, selling out shows in New York, Los Angeles, Boston, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, Atlanta, and several other major markets.  The film Hood To Coast follows four unlikely teams on their epic adventure as they try to conquer the world’s largest relay race. The film, produced by Film For Thought, Inc., was shot over the span of 11 months in Oregon in 2008 with half of the 100 crew members hired locally. Continue reading... “Documentary HOOD TO COAST returns to Oregon”

Leverage behind the scenes

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vQtexA0p3U&feature=player_embedded#at=48[/youtube]Go behind the scenes of Episode 315, “The Big Bang Job” with director/co-executive producer Marc Roskin and visual effect supervisor Mark Franco.

I thought this was a good look at what goes on behind the scenes of  the TNT show Leverage, shot here in Oregon.

Ricky Guillen

Oregon Film Intern.

YouTube – Videos from this email
Continue reading... “Leverage behind the scenes”

Payroll changes for SAG/AFTRA Contracts

There are some scheduled changes that will take place as of April 1, 2011 in the AFM Commercials Contract and the SAG/AFTRA Commercials Contracts for both radio and television which will affect advertising costs.

AFM Pension contributions increase to 13.08% on April 1, 2011.  This is a Federally mandated increase that was scheduled for implementation in two phases.  The first increase took place on June 1, of 2010 (to 12.48%) with the second increase to 13.08% scheduled to take effect on 4/1/11. Continue reading... “Payroll changes for SAG/AFTRA Contracts”

Big Turnout for Screening of “Meek’s Cutoff”

Reception in the Lobby of the Elsinore

Crowd files in for the screening

It was a great evening last night in Salem as the special screening of “Meek’s Cutoff” was bigger than anticipated.  We’re waiting on the final tally of ticket sales but we’re expecting between 400 and 500 total tickets were sold for the event.  Prior to the screening we hosted a reception for several legislators, industry members, and cultural trust board members.  We were expecting about 10 legislators to come to the event but my last count was 16 including Senate President Peter Courtney and Speaker of the House Arnie Roblan.  Continue reading... “Big Turnout for Screening of “Meek’s Cutoff””

“Oregon films well represented at the 10th Annual Ashland Independent Film Festival”

2010 marked a record year for films made in Oregon—and by Oregon filmmakers—to screen at the ashland independent film festival. For the upcoming 10th Annual festival, April 7-11, 2011, we are very pleased to include even more Oregon-made films, including our Locals Only program, and our Launch Regional Student Film Competition.

A number of AIFF alumni return to the festival this year. Portland-based Peter D.  Richardson (Clear Cut: The Story of Philomath, OR) returns to Ashland with How to Die in Oregon, winner of the 2011 Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize; and Irene Brodsky (Hear and Now and The Final Inch) returns with the World Premiere of her account of the BP Gulf Oil Spill, Saving Pelican 895.   Continue reading... ““Oregon films well represented at the 10th Annual Ashland Independent Film Festival””

U of O Cinema Studies Doctorate’s Film Premieres March 19th

Produced by Dr. Carter Soles, the Indy film incubator Fleem Productions announces the release of “A Tale of Persephone,” their second fiction film. A film noir coming-of-age story, this artsy adaptation of the mythic transformation of the Princess of the Grain into the Queen of the Underworld follows up Fleem’s debut, the award-winning 2008 sci-fi parody “Spidertron”.

Shot on location in Oregon, “A Tale of Persephone” features backdrops in Eugene, Portland, and Lowell. The film is set to a stunning soundtrack packed with renowned regional and international performers like Halie Loren, Ben Darwish, and The Parson Red Heads, as well as NYC musicians Jonathan Pieslak and Æ. Continue reading... “U of O Cinema Studies Doctorate’s Film Premieres March 19th”